Caspian Tern Bird – Aerialists – 7/31/2012 to 5/21/2015

The Caspian Tern was photographed at Grant Park Beach in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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The Caspian Tern is whitish-gray with a black cap and a large reddish bill with a touch of black tip, black legs, and blacker under the primaries. It is one of the larger terns as compared with the Common Tern. Size is compared to a Herring Gull. They have a range around the world, and breed and winter around the coastlines, and inland along lakes, rivers, and marshes. They have a habitat of large lakes, coastal waters, beaches, and bays. They feed on small fish, marine life, and large insects. It rarely swims and plunges from high to catch fish under the water surface. They usually nest in large densely packed colonies, but are not sociable. They are highly vocal.

 

 

Lesser Black Backed Gull Bird – Aerialists – 11/30/2013

This younger Lesser Black-Backed Gull was photographed on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina

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The Lesser Black-Backed Gull has black back and snow-white underparts with pink (younger) and yellow (older) legs. The range is Northern Europe, but may be found migrating in North America. It has a habitat at beaches, bays, coasts, and garbage dumps. The diet includes fish, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, and refuge in dumps. It has not been proven to nest in the United States. North American records are of the Britain/Iceland population that is indicated by a lighter black back. When seen they are few in number, and usually only for a short time.

 

Willet Bird – Small Waders – 5/2/2012

The Willet was photographed on the beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin north of Bradford Beach on Lake Michigan

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The Willet is a gray-brown bird with a black sturdy bill, and bluish-gray legs. In flight a striking black and white band pattern can be seen. It has a range of central southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and along the United States seashores. It has a habitat of marshes, wet meadows, mudflats, and beaches. It is often seen singly on beaches. Its diet consists of insects, crustaceans, marine worms, and small fish.

 

Barn Swallow Bird – Paseerines – 5/29/2012

These Barn Swallows were photographed at the McKinley Park Beach on lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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The Barn Swallow is blue-black above with cinnamon-buff below and with a darker throat. The only swallow that is truly swallow-tailed. The wings are pulled back at the end of the stroke and have little gliding. The range covers most of the United States and Canada, except for the southeast US. It has a habitat in open or semi-open land, farms, fields, marshes, lakes, and wires. It usually nests on beams inside of barns or buildings. It feeds on a wide variety of flying insects.